Monthly Archives: April 2010

Ritte Van Vlaanderen was born in Ninove, Belgium on November 5th, 1974, 1-day before Frank Vandenbroucke, a man whose shadow Ritte was never able to escape. Born Ritte Vanderslagmolenbeekegem, Van Vlaanderen changed his name when he moved to Southern California in 1999 after Vandenbroucke’s win in Liege-Bastogne-Liege. As the general manger of the Ritte Van … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège brought the first major portion of the season to a bittersweet close with a win for Alexandre Vinokourov. Vino’s win begs several questions, the answers to which depend upon your perspective. Was yesterday’s result a victory for redemption—proof that even the most tarnished riders can earn a chance for atonement in the sport’s … Continue reading →

The Spring Classics come to a close this weekend with the 96th edition of La Doyenne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Covering 10 of the Belgian Ardennes’ most legendary ascents, this year’s event looks certain to be an exciting and memorable finale to the first major phase of the 2010 season. This year’s start list features several men capable … Continue reading →

If you’re a frequent visitor to Pavé, you might have noticed a rather interesting conversation taking place via the comments to my Flèche Wallonne Preview. Apparently Cadel Evans’ rainbow jersey was not enough to convince many of you that a renaissance might beckon for the temperamental Australian. Unfortunately it’s not always possible for me to … Continue reading →

Like many of this year’s spring classics, tomorrow’s Flèche Wallone has changed its parcours in an effort to create a more exciting finale in a race that traditionally has ended with a “field sprint” up the Mur de Huy. With pitches topping-out at 25%, the iconic Mur tests the riders’ legs 3 times—with the final … Continue reading →

Phillippe Gilbert finally took a victory in a major spring classic, winning yesterday’s Amstel Gold Race with an impressive surge up the final ascent of the Cauberg. It was an exciting finish to a rather quiet race, as the favorites seemed content to wait until the final to begin testing their legs. Here’s what I … Continue reading →